Last week, Ady Barken was thrust into the national spotlight when the 33-year-old ALS victim’s conversation with Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) on an airplane went viral. The terminally-ill father of an 18-month-old son pleaded with the Republican Senator to oppose the tax bill currently being considered in Congress.

Should the Republican-sponsored bill ultimately pass, it could literally be a death sentence for people like Barken, as he explained to Senator Flake.

Today, Barkan was arrested while peacefully protesting outside of Senator Susan Collins’ (R-ME) office in an attempt to convince another moderate Republican to appeal to her better senses.

Barken has been decidedly active in his attempts to meet with key holdouts, including Senator John McCain (R-AZ).

.@SenJohnMcCain, you and I are each in a fight for our lives right now. Your junior colleague had the integrity to listen to my story and consider my pleas. If I come to D.C. on Wednesday, will you do me the same honor? https://t.co/dlGmoE4dsM

While the Senate and House continue to reconcile their different versions of the tax plan, American heroes like Ady are on the front lines doing whatever is necessary to preserve our most basic rights as Americans. He may have asked the crowd to chant “be a hero!” to Senator Collins, but he just showed us exactly who the real hero is today.